Re: That pesky mainsail

Perry W. Phillips (perrywphillips@prayercircle.org)
Wed, 19 May 1999 09:31:49 -0500


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West Wight Potter Website at URL
http://www.lesbois.com/wwpotter/
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-----Original Message-----
From: John Berling <berlingj@fuse.net>
To: wwpotter@tscnet.com <wwpotter@tscnet.com>
Date: Tuesday, May 18, 1999 9:02 PM
Subject: That pesky mainsail

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West Wight Potter Website at URL
http://www.lesbois.com/wwpotter/
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>1. Why couldn't a roller furling be adapted to the mast/boom, in either
a vertical or horizontal position? This seems like the perhaps simplest
solution, but then, if it's so simple why don't I see it being done...

>2. I saw a sailing kayak where the main (only) sail simply wrapped
around the mast, and the entire mast turned in a socket to roll the sail
in or out. I just saw a picture of this, so I'm not really sure how it
works -- seems like the sail must be either all the way out, or all the
way stowed around the pole, because trimming the sail if it was "reefed"
would only put a twist in the sail. Still, an interesting basic concept
that seems like it might have possibility...

>The main thing is, in the already small cockpit of a P15 a lot of extra
sail hanging down, in the way, obscuring vision, catching air and
creating dangerous situations, etc... is a problem. Lazy jacks are of
only minimal help. How do folks deal with this one?

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John,

Your points are well made, but overlook what to do with the battens that keep
your sail shape and allow a much shorter mast (thus less weight aloft). On
larger boats that can be resolved by full horizontal mast that can fold neatly
into Lazy Jacks or as on my 1967 C&C Corvette, can be rolled up on the roller
boom. If the battens are set at an offset (as on the Potter 15) there is little
you can do.

Perry
1970 C Type "Frodo" Un-numbered Hull
http://www.prayercircle.org/pwphil/pwphil.html
Port Arthur, Texas (Sabine Lake/Gulf of Mexico)

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Perry W. Phillips
"A better world begins with you!"
http://www.prayercircle.org
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